Nikka, Japan’s second largest distiller, was founded by Masataka Taketsuru, the man generally credited with starting Japan’s whisky industry. Perhaps as a result of Taketsuru’s early training in Scotland, Nikka’s style tends to be slightly more “scotch-y” than their rivals Suntory.

This is Nikka’s Tsuru 17, a whisky which is not readily available outside of Japan. Happily, I picked up a miniature on our last trip there!